


History

by Kittenmommy



Series: Loki and Pepper Potts: Conversations, Drinks, and Other Really Bad Ideas [18]
Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angrboða's A+ parenting, Angst and Humor, Established Relationship, F/M, Fun with ringtones, Language, Odin's A+ Parenting, Sigyn's A+ step-parenting, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark is always keeping it classy, Tony Stark swears a lot, racism toward jotnar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:26:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittenmommy/pseuds/Kittenmommy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Bruce,” Loki says softly.  </p><p>Bad idea.  Now Loki has the Hulk’s undivided attention.</p><p>“Puny god,” the Hulk growls scornfully.  Then suddenly, his face lights up with a weird sort of enraged delight.  “Favorite toy!”</p><p>He grabs Loki by the shoulders, pulling the god up to eye level and giving him a healthy shake that rattles his teeth.  </p><p>“Hulk smash!”</p><p>“No!” Tony exclaims.</p>
            </blockquote>





	History

**Author's Note:**

> _The Avengers_ belongs to Marvel.
> 
> The song "[Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)](http://www.4shared.com/mp3/aVyn3aZZ/Long_Cool_Woman_In_A_Black_Dre.html?)" belongs to the Hollies.
> 
> And I'm not making any money from this.

“Everyone… this is Angrboða,” Loki announces. 

There is a moment of stunned silence; they were expecting a ten-foot tall blue person with blood red eyes, not a pretty petite brunette with deep blue eyes.

Bruce is the first to recover. He rises to his feet.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Angrboða,” he says, extending his hand. “I’m Doctor Bruce Banner, and I’m overseeing your daughter’s treatment.”

She simply stares at his hand, and after a moment he lets it drop to his side.

“That’s Tony Stark,” Bruce continues, gesturing. “He’s also a scientist, and he’s bankrolling all of this.”

“Hiya,” Tony says, and salutes her with a half-full bottle of grape soda.

“And this is Pepper Potts,” Bruce finishes. “She’s… ah, a friend.”

Angrboða turns to Loki, smiling maliciously. “My, how the mighty have fallen. _You_ , stooping so low as to consort with mortals?”

“Lady, you have _no_ idea,” Tony says, earning an elbow in the ribs from Pepper.

“These are my friends, Angrboða,” Loki replies coldly. “And you will treat them with the respect they deserve.”

“Never doubt that I shall,” she agrees. 

Not for nothing was Loki raised as a prince. His voice cracks like a whip: 

“You _will_ remember your place, wench! I am _your king_ , while you are but one of my many dalliances and were circumstances otherwise, you would be _far_ beneath my notice.”

Angrboða’s lips press together in a thin line, but she doesn’t quite dare to comment. 

Instead, she turns to Bruce. “I wish to retire now,” she tells him haughtily. “You will show me to my quarters and bring food, wine, and other refreshments.”

“You are awfully grand for someone who was most recently wrapped in rotting animal skins and squatting in her own filth in a cave,” Loki says scornfully.

Angrboða glares at him. “I am the king’s woman, and I deserve – ”

“But you are _not_ my woman,” Loki interrupts softly. “And as for what you deserve…” He merely shrugs.

There is a very long silence.

Pepper sighs. “I suppose she can stay with me,” she says reluctantly.

“I think that would be kinda awkward, don’t you?” Tony asks, standing. “There’s an empty bedroom on this floor; it was meant for me, but I never use it. Got a penthouse upstairs, you know?” 

He motions at Angrboða. “Come on, Angry Birds. I’ll show you to your new digs. And if you’re _really_ good, I _won’t_ have my robots make you a peanut butter and bologna sandwich.”

* * *

_An hour later…_

Bruce, Tony, Pepper, and Loki are all sitting on the sofa together.

They all have glasses of scotch… even Bruce.

“God almighty, what a harridan,” Bruce says, running a hand thought his hair. He looks a bit shell-shocked.

“What where you _thinking_ , Loki?” Pepper asks.

“Seriously, Pepper? I mean, did you _see_ her?” Tony replies.

Loki sighs and sips his scotch. “Stark is correct: I was _not_ thinking.”

“Thinking with the little head instead of the big one,” Tony smirks, downing his scotch. 

Loki shoots him a look but does not comment.

“Yeah, we’ve all been there,” Tony continues sagely. He glances at Pepper. “Well, maybe not _all_ of us,” he amends.

“She’s worse than Goldilocks,” Bruce says. “This bed is too hard, this room is too hot, this food is too bland, you stupid mortals are too useless.”

“Look, it’s only for a few days,” Pepper points out reasonably. “Then Loki can take her back to Jötunheim and none of us will ever have to deal with her again.”

Tony holds up the crystal decanter. “More scotch?”

There are three nods of assent.

Angrboða suddenly appears in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. 

“I have decided that I like my new quarters, and I shall be staying indefinitely,” she announces grandly, and then turns on her heel and leaves.

“I think we’re gonna need more scotch,” Bruce says mournfully.

* * *

_The next day…_

Tony and Bruce are staring at Loki in disbelief.

“Seriously?” Tony finally asks.

Loki frowns. “You told me that this is a construction site, Stark, and that a hard hat would be required. Is my hat not hard enough?”

“A _hard hat_ , like _this_ ,” Tony says, pointing to his own ridiculous headgear. “Not full Asgardian armor!”

“You’re a little overdressed, Loki,” Bruce points out gently.

With a sigh, he transforms into clothing more like theirs: a green shirt, a pair of black jeans, and black work boots. Bruce hands him one of those ridiculous hats, and he immediately turns it green to match his shirt.

“I don’t see what protection this thing would give,” Loki grouses as he dons the hat. “My own helmet would do much better!”

“Yeah, but you can’t walk around a construction site in _that_ ,” Tony tells him.

“Why not?”

“Because… um…” Tony looks at Bruce. “Help me out here.”

Bruce shrugs. “You’re on your own on this one.”

“Never mind,” Loki sighs. “Let’s just get on with this, shall we?”

“So, OK, dudes, check this out,” Tony says, leading them inside the building. “This used to be the Stark mansion; I grew up here… right up the road from the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers.”

“Nice,” Bruce says approvingly.

“Yeah, Anderson Cooper and I used to hang out a lot when we were kids. Too bad about his brother… that _really_ sucked.”

They walk past contractors and construction personnel, all in hard hats and wielding various tools. 

“There’s a lot of history here. And now,” Tony continues smugly, “this old pile of bricks is getting a brand new life. It’s going to be the Avengers’ Mansion!”

“Tony…” Bruce is speechless.

“We’re doing a full tear-down and remodel on the inside. It’s gonna be _amazing_. We’ll have a gym, a shooting range, labs, a workshop, a place to park the quinjet… everything we could ever want.”

“And it will have the added benefit of getting everyone out of your tower,” Loki murmurs knowingly.

Tony turns and points at him, grinning. “Give the man a cigar!” 

“Does Director Fury know that you are giving _me_ the grand tour?” Loki asks, arching an eyebrow. “He might have objections.”

 _Yeah, but you’re pretty much totally on_ our _side now,_ Tony thinks but has the sense not to say. Instead: 

“Fuck him,” Tony replies. “The name on the deed is ‘Anthony Edward Stark’, _not_ ‘Nicholas Motherfucking Fury’. And anyway, I do what I want!” he adds, sticking out his tongue like the paragon of maturity that he is.

“Until Fury catches you,” Bruce says with a laugh.

“And fuck you too, Banner,” Tony says, also laughing. “C’mere, Loki. Come see this.”

Tony throws open a set of double doors to reveal a large room with all sorts of medical equipment still draped in plastic tarps.

“Once we get this up and running, we can continue our work with Hel.”

Loki takes a breath. “I don’t know what to say, Stark,” he finally says.

“Say you’ve figured out a way to convince the bitch that she doesn’t _really_ want to live in Stark Tower.”

Loki laughs. “Do not trouble yourself, Stark. When the time comes, she will leave. Willingly or no.”

“You’re pretty good at getting her to do what you want,” Bruce remarks.

“Yes. Threats of death and dismemberment work absolute _wonders_ with her.”

Bruce looks vaguely horrified, but Tony merely shrugs.

“Hey, whatever works.”

Behind them, there is a clatter and large _clang_ as something very heavy suddenly falls to the floor.

 _Uh oh,_ Tony has time to think, and then quiet, unassuming Bruce is gone and the Enormous Green Ragemonster is growling menacingly and the construction workers and contractors are fleeing as fast as their legs will carry them.

“Bruce…” Tony begins, backing away, hands up in a surrendering position.

The Hulk glares at him and roars his displeasure.

“Bruce,” Loki says softly. 

Bad idea. Now Loki has the Hulk’s undivided attention.

“Puny god,” the Hulk growls scornfully. Then suddenly, his face lights up with a weird sort of enraged delight. “Favorite toy!”

He grabs Loki by the shoulders, pulling the god up to eye level and giving him a healthy shake that rattles his teeth. His green hard hat falls off his head and drops to the floor. 

“Hulk smash!”

“No!” Tony exclaims. _Shit, shit, shit, shit…_ he thinks wildly.

“Bruce,” Loki repeats in that same soft voice. He stares directly into the Hulk’s enraged eyes. “I know you are in there,” and now Loki’s voice is absolutely _hypnotic_. “This is not you, Bruce. This is the beast controlling you; you must not allow it. _You_ must control the beast.”

The Hulk frowns. 

“Control?” He says the word like it tastes bad. “No! Hulk smash puny god!”

And Loki just keeps talking.

“You are a learned man, a man of science, a healer. This is not you, Bruce. _This is not you._ Remember who you are!”

The Hulk roars in frustration. “Want smash puny god _right now_!”

“Hel needs you, Bruce. You are of no help to her like this. We need you… all of us. Your friends _need_ you, Bruce. Please come back to us.”

The Hulk releases Loki, who somehow manages to land on his feet like a cat.

With one final howl of frustration, the Hulk is gone and a shirtless Bruce is standing there before them, breathing hard, his head down.

“Shit,” Tony finally says. “Loki, that was incredible!”

Loki smiles faintly. “I was not certain it would work.”

“You could’ve fooled _me_!” Bruce pants. “That was really reckless, Loki. I could have pounded you into the ground… _again_.”

“I know. But you did not. And so…” he shrugs.

“Come on, let’s go back to the Tower,” Tony says. “This place is still under destruction… errr, _construction_.”

“I’m sorry, Tony,” Bruce apologizes. He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m… really sorry. Loki… _God_ , I’m sorry.”

“It is fine, Bruce,” Loki assures him. “Think of it no more.”

As they leave together, Tony claps them both on the shoulder. “Looks like they don’t call this guy ‘Silvertongue’ for nothing, huh?” and Bruce finally laughs.

* * *

A much calmer and fully dressed Bruce sits at the kitchen table with Tony and Loki, across from Angrboða. He’s asking her questions and using a stylus to make notes on an iPad.

Pepper puts a cup of coffee down in front of him and then leans against the counter.

“So, there’s no… uh, family history of anything like Hel’s affliction?” he asks.

“No.” Angrboða gives Loki a scornful look. “Why don’t you ask His Majesty about _his_ family history?”

Loki bristles at this. “You know very well that I haven’t a family history,” he says.

“His Majesty’s mother was Midgardian, taken from here as the spoils of war,” Angrboða says.

Bruce blinks. “How do you…”

“Know this?” she finishes for him. “I have my sources.”

Loki is astonished. 

Angrboða gives him a malicious little smile and continues. 

“She did not enjoy her time on Jötunheim. In the end… it tore her apart.” She pauses for effect. “ _Literally._ ”

“Holy shit,” Tony says softly. He glances over at Loki, who is looking decidedly unwell. “Hey, you OK?”

Loki nods silently and motions for Angrboða to continue.

“It is said that though she was Midgardian, she had shifter blood.” Angrboða shrugs. “Who knows? But Laufey was displeased with his scrawny, tiny bastard, and so he ordered him left to die. It seems that the All-Father had other ideas.”

“Shifter blood?” Pepper asks.

Angrboða turns in her seat and looks up at the other woman. “Shapeshifter.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out myself, thanks. I was just wondering how it’s possible.”

Angrboða shrugs again. “When it comes to shifters, nearly nothing would surprise me. They are a… _capricious_ people.”

“Hey Neytiri,” Tony butts in, regaining Angrboða’s attention. “This isn’t a fairy tale. Aside from His Cold Blue Majesty here, we don’t really have shapeshifters wandering around on Midgard.”

“Of course you don’t.” She gives him a knowing smile. “None that you are _aware of_ , in any event.”

Tony has to concede the point.

“And Professor Xavier has this school…” Pepper says without thinking. Tony looks up at her sharply. “But I don’t know _anything_ about that.”

“OK, so that’s really helpful.” Bruce makes some more notes. “Shapshifter, human, Jötun,” he mutters under his breath. _Mother a mutant? Check with Xavier to see if that’s possible._ he writes but does not say.

“You’re a regular Heinz 57, Loke,” Tony says.

“Do not call me that.” 

“Which one? ‘Heinz 57’, or ‘Loke’?”

“The second.” 

“OK, Fifty-Seven,” Tony agrees, and Loki sighs and rolls his eyes. 

“If I am not mistaken, Heinz 57 is a condiment, is it not?”

“Yeah,” Bruce agrees absently, still jotting things on the iPad. “You put it on steak.”

“Or chicken,” Pepper adds.

Loki isn’t finished. “And what has that to do with – ”

“Steak,” Tony repeats. “Mmmmmm. So, who else is hungry?”

“I am hungry.” Angrboða says.

“You’re _always_ hungry,” Tony says. “You eat more than three of me.”

Angrboða’s voice changes, and she lowers her eyes demurely.

“It takes a great deal to fulfill _my_ appetites, Tony Stark,” she says, and shows him her teeth.

 _Jesus_ , Tony thinks, staring at her with huge eyes. _Jesus!_

Loki is giving her a displeased look. “That will be _quite_ enough, Angrboða.”

“That is not what you said when – ”

“OK, yeah, new subject,” Bruce interrupts hastily.

“Angrboða,” Pepper’s voice is tentative, and Angrboða again turns in her seat to look up at her. “if you don’t mind my asking… why do you look… _like that_?”

“Like what?”

“ _That_ ,” Pepper says, gesturing. “Human.”

“Æsir,” Loki corrects in a murmur. “And she looks as she does because she has placed an enchantment upon herself.”

“Why?” Bruce asks.

“Are you kidding? _Look_ at her!” Tony says. Pepper sighs and shakes her head.

“Not for the reasons that you think,” Angrboða says. “At least not _this_ time. His Majesty told me that I would be more comfortable on Midgard in this form… this world is far too warm for our comfort.”

Bruce frowns. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“And changing form fixes that?” Tony ask, fascinated. This is stuff that Loki doesn’t really talk about, and Tony is Tony and he wants to _know_.

“A bit,” Loki admits reluctantly. “It… helps.”

“I keep the thermostat pretty low at my place,” Pepper says, and then grins. “Not that I need any help with staying warm.”

Tony lets his head fall forward onto the table with an audible _thump_.

“TMI, Pepper!” Bruce says, but he’s laughing.

“I hate every single one of you right now,” Tony tells them, forehead still pressed against the table.

Angrboða turns to him, frowning. “Why would you hate _me_?”

Tony straightens and looks at her. 

“Just on general principle, you know? The whole shitty mom thing doesn’t really do it for me… I had one of my own, and I know how much it sucks.”

There is a long silence.

“So…” Tony finally says. “Anyone still up for steak?”

* * *

They order in from Keens Steakhouse.

“I didn’t know that Keens delivers,” Bruce muses, slicing into his steak.

“They do for _me_ ,” Tony replies, stabbing a piece of very rare filet mignon with his fork. 

“Interesting,” Loki says. He has ordered the biggest serving of mutton chops that Tony has ever seen, and he wonders idly if the god will be able to finish it. “Have you purchased that establishment as well, Stark?”

Tony laughs. “No, but that’s not a bad idea. JARVIS?”

“Sir?”

“See if we can buy Keens.”

“Yes, sir,” JARVIS says, sounding resigned.

Suddenly, there is music: 

_Well I’ve gotta be forgiven if I wanna spend my livin’ with a long cool woman in a black dress, just a five-nine beautiful tall –_

Tony freezes momentarily, looking absolutely horrified. Then he grabs for his phone.

_– Well with just one look I was a bad mess, ‘cause that long cool woman had it all._

“Yeah,” Tony says into the phone. “Nope. Just chillin’ with the Frost Monsters.”

Pepper and Bruce are both eyeing him suspiciously. Angrboða is studying him with a look of great interest. Loki is more interested in his food than anything else.

“This is quite good,” he murmurs.

“Yeah,” Tony repeats into the phone. “Right here. Uh huh.” He listens for a moment, nodding. “OK. Will do! Bye!”

He puts the phone away and goes back to his food.

“And that was…?” Pepper finally asks.

“Ah, that was… that was Hel, actually.” He takes another bite of steak. “JARVIS?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Fuck with my ringtones again, and I’m coming for you.”

“Yes, sir,” JARVIS agrees, sounding remarkably unworried.

Bruce suddenly realizes what must have happened, and laughs. “One day JARVIS is going to get you in real trouble,” he tells Tony.

“You got that fucking right,” Tony agrees. “Jesus. Sometimes I don’t know what possessed me to think a snarky, sarcastic, disrespectful AI was a great idea.”

Loki looks up from his food and fixes Tony with a meaningful stare. 

“Long cool woman in a black dress?” he finally asks in a very dangerous tone.

“That wasn’t my idea!” Tony immediately protests. “JARVIS – ”

And now Loki is laughing, and Tony feels like an idiot.

“Fuck you, Loki.”

“So, what’s new with Hel?” Pepper asks.

Tony shrugs. “She wanted to know what’s going on.”

Angrboða smirks. “She wished to know if _I_ am here, did she not?”

“Sure did, Mommie Dearest,” Tony agrees. “She’s not too interested in seeing you anytime soon. Imagine that.”

Angrboða shrugs. “It has not always been so… especially not immediately after Odin cast her out.”

“She went to you?” Loki asks, obviously surprised.

“Oh, yes. She did indeed, Your Majesty.” She leans forward in her seat, and that evil little gleam is back in her eye. “She even told me who orchestrated her banishment.”

Loki frowns. “No one orchestrated it. Odin made a decision – ”

“Odin had outside input.”

Loki leans back in his seat and regards her steadily. “Tell me,” he says softly. He picks up his wineglass and takes a sip as he watches her.

“Not many would wish to share close quarters with two monsters and a strange, dangerously intelligent child who says little but sees far too much.”

Loki’s frown deepens. “Speak plainly, Angrboða.”

“It seems that your new wife Sigyn was not happy with her new stepchildren. She made her objections to Odin quite plain, telling him that she refused to be humiliated by sharing quarters with a Frost Giant’s bastard get.”

Loki looks absolutely stricken. “You lie,” he says quietly, but his voice lacks conviction.

“Sigyn… lovely, lovely Sigyn,” Angrboða continues in a malicious taunting tone. “ _She_ was going to be the one to bear the prince’s heirs, not some filthy Jötun whore.”

“ _That_ turned out well,” Tony says, his mouth wandering off on a new, stupid adventure without him. Business as usual. 

He earns a Death Glare from Pepper and a questioning look from Loki. 

Tony shrugs. “Thor told me about it one time when he was really drunk.”

“I might have known,” Loki sighs. He takes another drink of wine.

Bruce is looking questioningly back and forth. “What happened with Sigyn?” he finally asks, since it is clear that no further information is forthcoming.

“I’ll fill you in later,” Tony promises. “Now is _really_ not the time.”

“No, it truly is not,” Loki agrees softly. His eyes fix on Angrboða. “You have given me much to think on,” he continues in that same soft tone. “I am not certain whether or not I should thank you.”

She inclines her head at him. “The pleasure was all mine, Your Majesty.”

“I’ve no doubt.” He frowns. “Why has Hel never told me this herself?”

Angrboða shrugs. “You would have to ask _her_.”

“I shall.”

Steve wanders into the kitchen. He sees Angrboða, and his eyebrows go up.

“Hey, Steve,” Tony greets him. “Have fun last night?”

“Yeah, it was really cool.”

“Steve, this is Angrboða,” Bruce says, gesturing. “Angrboða, Steve Rogers.”

“Ma’am,” Steve says politely.

“She’s Hel’s mom,” Bruce continues, and Steve’s mouth forms an ‘O’ of surprise.

“And which one is he?” Angrboða asks.

“Captain America,” Tony says. “The one with the shield.”

She nods.

“Pull up a chair,” Bruce invites.

Steve shakes his head. “I’m not staying. I actually… uh, I have a date.”

“Really?” Tony’s eyebrows go up. “Tell us all!”

Steve laughs. “Not much to tell… not yet.”

“Where’d you meet her?” Pepper asks.

“At the restaurant last night. They had a torch singer… it’s her. She’s…” he seems at a loss for words, and Pepper laughs.

“Have fun,” she tells him.

“I will,” he agrees, grinning boyishly. He pulls a bottle of grape soda out of the fridge and waves goodbye as he leaves.

“Ah, indestructible scientifically created supersoldiers,” Tony says fondly. “they grow up _so_ fast!”

“Good luck!” Bruce calls after Steve.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Tony yells.

“And what would _that_ be, Stark?” Loki asks acidly.

Tony frowns. “Uh… pretty much nothing.”

“As I thought.”

“Wait, I take that back. I can think of at least _one_ thing I wouldn’t do,” Tony says, looking meaningfully at Angrboða.

She glares at him.

“Love you too, Babe,” he tells her, and blows her a kiss.

Loki sighs.

* * *

“So, I think we got some useful information,” Bruce is telling Tony. They’re sitting at the bar in the living room of his penthouse. Tony has a glass of scotch, and Bruce has a beer.

“Hopefully we can get that stuff at the mansion up and running soon,” Tony says. “The tech people are supposed to come install it tomorrow.”

“Good. I have some theories I’d like to test. And I want to get some blood from Angrboða.”

“Join the club.”

Bruce snorts. “I meant with a needle.”

“ _I_ didn’t.”

“I know.”

“God, what a horrible bitch,” Tony says, downing his scotch. “I wouldn’t fuck her with someone else’s dick.”

“Classy,” Bruce remarks, sipping his beer. “So what’s this about Sigyn?”

Tony sighs and pours himself another drink. 

“The _Reader’s Digest_ version? All her kids were monsters, and she got sick of it and left. The last one was the last straw… pretty horrible, from what Thor said.”

Bruce is frowning. “That suggests some interesting things about Loki’s genetic make-up. I didn’t think to ask Angrboða if she has other children…”

“That’s not even the worst part,” Tony says, and he’s reached the point in the scotch bottle where he’s slurring his words a bit.

“I’m almost afraid to ask.”

He leans toward Bruce confidentially, sloshing scotch everywhere.

“Loki doesn’t know this, OK?”

“Sure,” Bruce agrees.

“Thor told me… he told me that after the last… _kid_ , Sigyn went to Odin and Frigga in private about, you know, all the monster kids… and they told her where they actually got Loki. When she found out he’s really a Frost Giant, she packed up all her shit and took off.”

“Oh my God,” Bruce breathes. “That’s… my God.”

“Yeah. For added fun, he _still_ didn’t know about his adoption at the time. So, heavy duty. And you can’t say _anything_ ,” Tony reminds him. 

“My lips are sealed.”

“Loki would _utterly lose his shit_ if he found out, and that’s not something I ever want to see again.”

“Me neither,” Bruce agrees fervently, and sips his beer.

* * *

Pepper comes out of the bathroom. Loki is lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She takes off her robe and drapes it neatly across the foot of the bed, and then pulls up the covers and slides in next to him.

“Hey,” she says softly. She props herself up on one elbow to look down at him. “How’re you doing?”

He sighs. “I don’t want to believe it.”

“I know,” she says sadly. “I don’t want to believe it either.”

“Nevertheless.”

“Nevertheless,” she agrees.

“Put out the light?”

She reaches over and turns it off, then snuggles down next to him.

“I love you,” she says, stroking his hair.

“Yes.”

“It’s all right, Loki.”

“No, it is _not_.”

She sighs. “No, it’s not. But it _will_ be.”

“I cannot allow myself to hope.”

“I know,” she says again. “I wish I could do something.”

“You already have,” he murmurs, and pulls her close.

“I wish I could do _more_.”

“Just…” 

She hears the hesitation in his voice, and figures out what he wants to say but just _can’t_.

“I won’t, Loki. I won’t leave you.”

He says nothing, but holds her more tightly.

It is a long time before they fall asleep.

FINIS.

**Author's Note:**

> References:
> 
> The game Angry Birds.
> 
> The fairy tale _Goldilocks and the Three Bears_  
>     
> [Anderson Cooper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_cooper) is a real person and does not belong to me. And his brother's suicide is a horrifying tragedy, and though I don't know him personally he has my deepest sympathy.
> 
> Neyteri, a large blue person in the movie [_Avatar_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_\(2009_film\)).
> 
> [Heinz 57 sauce](http://www.heinz57.com). Warning: Contains high fructose corn syrup.
> 
> [Keens Steakhouse](http://www.keens.com) is a real establishment and is not (yet) owned by Tony Stark.
> 
> [ _Mommie Dearest_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mommie_Dearest) by Christina Crawford.
> 
> [ _Reader's Digest condensed books_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader%27s_Digest_Condensed_Books).


End file.
